The Blue Devil varsity eight rowing squad had been making strong headway in recent regattas, pulling its way to a string of victories, but the icy waters of Onondaga Lake (New York) hindered Duke's progress. The No. 18 Blue Devils lost to No. 16 Boston University and No. 17 Syracuse Saturday.
During the race--delayed more than two hours due to fog and icing on the course--all three boats got off the line well and no team gained an advantage. Then the Orangewomen took the lead, pushing ahead of the opposing two boats.
However, the Syracuse varsity eight could not stay in front for long. About one third of the way through the 2000-meter race, BU grabbed the lead from Orangewomen. The Blue Devils could not catch either opposing boat, and the Terriers held on to win the race.
Duke had slightly greater success in the junior varsity eight race. The Blue Devils held an early advantage but was passed at the 500-meter mark by BU. The Terriers opened up their lead and never looked back as Duke could only muster a second-place finish.
The Blue Devils finished third in the varsity 4 "B" race, almost a full second behind the Syracuse boat that captured the victory.
Duke will next compete against Big 10 powers Michigan and Ohio State, April 10 and then race the following weekend at the ACC Championships.
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